Gino's East
162 E Superior St
Chicago, IL 60611http://www.ginoseast.com/
Iconic Chicago style pizza. There are many deep dish places to choose from, but this is my favorite. This was one of three stops for the GoalBusters Pizza Crawl, where we rented a stretch Hummer for 20 of our closest AFP friends and toured Gino's, the Signature Lounge at the top of the Hancock, and Lou Malnati's. Tons of fun.

View from the Lounge

Signature Lounge at the 96th
John Hancock Center
875 N. Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611https://www.signatureroom.com/lounge/
Beautiful views from the 96th floor of the Hancock Center. Keep this in mind when you gripe about the drink prices. Strangely enough, the ladies' room has one of the best panoramas of the city.

Like they said.

Billy Goat Tavern
430 N. Michigan Ave at Lower Level
Chicago, IL 60611http://www.billygoattavern.com/
This is the original location. It's below street level, and not refined at all. That's why you go. Yes, you get a cheezborger and a beer. And chips.

Al's Italian Beef

Al's Italian Beef
Multiple locations throughout the Chicago areahttp://www.alsbeef.com/
It's another fast food icon in the Chicago area, and has been on many travel shows. It really is a great sandwich.

Bucket list experience. Truly. Totally worth the hype. I went prior to the big reboot of the concept, so I can't directly testify to the experience now, but I'm sure it's still top notch. Make sure you've made a payment recently on your credit card so you can load it back up here.

Thursday, October 26, 2017

It's early in the morning and I'm jet lagged, as I just got back from the International Fundraising Congress (IFC), produced by The Resource Alliance. This conference is held every October in Noordwijk, The Netherlands, just outside of Amsterdam, and is a gathering of thought leaders and innovators in the charitable/philanthropic/NGO sector. This was only my second trip to The Netherlands, but I've already developed a short list of "must do" places in Amsterdam. So here are a few of my picks, from a total newbie tourist perspective!

I think this is my favorite bar in the world. This is the place for jenever and beer. Please don't come in fussing about Sauvignon Blanc. David (in the picture above) has been our bartender three of the four times we were here, and he remembered us by visit two! He was very helpful about guiding us through the multiple styles of jenever and the history of the bar. Go old school and have oude jenever and a Heineken. You also must drink the jenever properly, as shown here. This bar has been in operation since 1650, and holds claim to being the oldest bar in Amsterdam. While this place has been on many travel shows, it has never seemed crowded.

This was one of my favorite meals of this trip. Lively atmosphere and appropriately old setting for a solid Dutch meal. We started with herring and jenever, which was a great pairing to cut through the oiliness of the fish. We then moved on to the eel soup, which tastes strongly of the mustard and the smokiness of the eel--it had more of a meaty taste than fish. We split the shrimp krokketen, and then had two generous entrees: the marrow peas and the sauerkraut stamppot. These are definitely winter weather foods! Heavy, but in a comfort food way. The staff is very friendly and helpful with the menu if you have questions. Natalia, our server, was fun to banter with! Great food, service, and a good value.

Another "light" lunch at this classic. Everyone on Yelp and Trip Advisor said to order one of the steaks. That was good advice. Their filets are prepared in butter, and you have your choice of just butter, the spicy version ("Bali") or the "de Roode Waard" version, which has onions, bacon, and chicken livers. We, of course, went all in, and ordered the "loaded" one, and it was delicious.

Kalfsvlees krokketen

FEBOhttps://www.febo.nl/ (website is in Dutch only)
Multiple locations around The Netherlands, hours vary

These are old fashioned automats, and they serve fried nuggets of goodness. Krokketen are a big thing in The Netherlands: breaded, fried snacks with a meat and gravy filling. If you have exact change, usually 1.80-3 euros, you can get the snack from the vending machine. If you don't, that's okay, you can order at the counter and have your krokket made fresh.

I've been hunting for rijstafel, the Indonesian "rice table," which is a collection of small dishes served family style. We've been to three restaurants so far, and this one is the best. There are many more restaurants serving rijstafel in Amsterdam, so I'm sure there are other great ones, but I like this one. Atmosphere is cozy and the service was good.

One of the few places where I have no photos! This was a nice surprise in Nieuwmarket. They have a brief menu, but everyone is there for the fondue. The cheese fondue is decadently rich, as you would expect, but the surprise for me was the Steak Bern, which you cook at your table on a metal plate of Bearnaise sauce. So good. Mostly Dutch here, but they do have an English menu if you ask. Communal tables and a tight squeeze in this cafe, so don't bring a big bag!

Dutch pancakes are very thin and can be simple: traditional ones are just cheese, or ham and cheese, or a little bit of fruit. But, in the name of excess, we start piling on the toppings! My favorite it number 11, with bananas, bacon, and chiles. I added grated Dutch cheese this time and it was fabulous. This is a "card only" establishment, but tips are accepted in cash. It's also first come, first served, which sometimes makes the queue awkward, because if there is a party of 6 next in line, they will wait until a table for 6 is open, even if they have several tables for two available. If you find yourself behind a large party, it doesn't hurt to step up to the front and ask about a smaller table.

This is a charming little place near Dam Square with a spoken menu, so everything changes day to day. The servers are friendly and helpful, and the european style fare is a little bit lighter than the heavy Dutch food we spent most of the time eating.

Monday, September 18, 2017

I found out this morning that my Yuma food mentor, Ed Davis, aka "Ed in Yuma," aka "Ed Dibble," passed away this weekend.

I first met Ed via Chowhound, back when it was a very simple, online foodie bulletin board. Yelp and Instagram didn't exist, so random people from around the world posted thoughts and suggestions about what and where to eat on this discussion group. Being new to Yuma in 2006, I figured I should check out the food scene, and the only person posting on a regular basis from Yuma was this guy, "Ed Dibble." I am embarrassed how long it took me to figure out the humor in his handle.

I followed Ed's posts religiously. If he suggested a place, I would try to find it. I didn't find them all, but most of the ones that he suggested (that are still around) are now long time favorites.

Since there was no way to direct message someone on Chowhound, I had to hint on posts a few times that I'd like to meet Ed someday. I thought maybe I'd just happen to run into him at some point. Since I work with KAWC, Yuma's public radio station, I'm not hard to find, and Ed started dropping hints on his posts that he knew who I was.

Then, during one on-air pledge drive, Ed actually came to the studio! AND I WAS ON THE AIR! NOOOO! I missed my chance!

Luckily, our mutual friend, Ellen, knew I was stalking him, and graciously set up dinner to connect us. We had a grand time meeting Ed and Tina, and I continued, after that, to stalk his food posts, through his blog.

I am truly sad that I never got to have dinner with Ed at his favorite Chinese restaurant, Yummy Yummy. And that I never got to cook for him to make him some of my favorites.

In his honor, here are my favorite Yuma restaurants that were originally from Ed's list. And I will make it a point on my next trip to try some new places and write about them.I hope you're having a great banquet, wherever you are now, Ed. Godspeed, and bon appetit!

One of the nicest restaurants in Yuma, and owner Nan Bain is a huge supporter of public radio, particularly our station, KAWC. We've been eating here since our first visit to Yuma and have really eaten everything on the menu. My favorites are the roasted red pepper and tomato bisque, the coconut curry shrimp, the tequila snapper, and the pistachio crusted salmon or chicken. They are also a great option if you need vegan or gluten free options.

Juanita's has the very best seafood cocktail in Yuma. Hands down, end of conversation. I love the campechana, which is the "everything" seafood cocktail, including shrimp, scallops, oysters, octopus and squid, and sometimes conch, depending on the day. The broth that the seafood rests in is the most delicious part. Add a little hot sauce, and it's a perfect meal on a sunny, but not too hot, day. Juanita's is a semi-permanent taco truck--it has a sign, outdoor seating, and rest rooms, but the truck drives home at the end of the day. It's also only open during daylight hours, because there's no outside lighting, and hours vary during the summer months. It's helpful if you know a teeny bit of Spanish, although on the weekends, the young man who typically is there expediting orders and busing tables can help with translation if needed. Bring cash.

About My Restaurants

I'm on the road a lot and I love to eat where I travel. I'm looking for experiences that are iconic of the place I'm in, whether upscale or down home. Whether it's five star restaurants or food trucks, I'll try it! In general, the restaurants featured on this blog are places I've dined more than once, so that I know it wasn't a fluke.